38ConvoBook

36 37 38 th IIUM Convocation 2022 38 th IIUM Convocation 2022 Social • Serving as President of the Malaysian Malay Chamber of Commerce (DPMM). • Serving as Secretary General of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM). He is currently the Chairman of SME Corp, who is responsible to drive the growth and transformation of Malaysian SMEs. A series of Women Netpreneur programmes were initiated to empower women in the economy and community by SME Corp Malaysia and the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative Ministry (MEDAC). • Serving as Chairman of Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (MAIWP) during which he focuses on introducing Islam as a complete way of life that encompasses socio-spiritual-economic aspects. He had proposed the development of an action plan for the implementation of programmes related to the Concept of Ra�matan lil ʿ Ālamīn. Diplomatic • Serving in the Malaysian Administration and Diplomatic Services since 1977. He has extensive experience in international relations through his service as a diplomat in several Malaysian diplomatic missions overseas. Dato’ Sri was appointed as Second Secretary at the Malaysian Embassy in Cairo, Egypt in 1982, and as First Secretary at the Malaysian Embassy in Rabat, Morocco in 1989. In the year 1992, Dato’ Sri was assigned to the Malaysian Embassy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as Consul General, and later served as Deputy Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in Jeddah. In 2000, he was promoted to be the Ambassador of Malaysia to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). • Enhancing the bilateral relationship between the host countries and Malaysia in various areas of cooperation benefiting the people of both countries. Dato’ Sri is committed to initiating measures to counter Islamophobia and raising global awareness by communicating moderation in Islam. In 2020, the Commonwealth Secretary General’s visit to Malaysia was set up by him not only as an effort to promote Islamic universal values but also to emphasise Malaysia’s commitment to global peace and security. • Exploring opportunities in areas which enhanced the solidarity among Muslim countries. As a member of OIC, this is parallel with Malaysia’s to strengthen the spirit of co-operation among the member states. • Initiating and participating in the discussion on issues that pertain to comparative religions, and giving emphasis on the roles of faith in society at the national and international levels. This contributes to the development of effective policy responses to Islamophobia and terrorism which requires the under standing of Islamic world and its relationship with non-Muslim states. • Facilitating various avenues to highlight Malaysia’s Rahmatan lil Alamin concept in light of current i ssues on war, violence and Islamophobia, including through publication, seminar, round table discussions and media statements. This befits the foci in the fields of public diplomacy and international relations. Such dialogues are significant to counter prejudice, misinformation and antagonism against Islam and its values. • Bringing the Malaysian tourism industry to a greater height by promoting Malaysia as a tourist destination and consequently bringing more tourists, especially from middle eastern countries to Malaysia. This is in line with the OIC efforts to develop Islamic tourism as a means to generate member states’ economic growth. From a socio-cultural perspective, Islamic tourism will likely expose non-Muslims to Islam and its cultures. The effort will indirectly counter negative sentiments against Muslims. Dato’ Sri Syed Hussien Al Habshee believes that IIUM is an Islamic-based higher education institution that has taken various approaches to educate the community in conveying the correct teachings of Islam, and correcting the misunderstandings and mistakes of many parties towards the Islamic religion.